The grave is intended to honor the deceased and to keep an honorable memory even after their death. A great deal of care is therefore necessary when designing the grave.
The death of a loved one is often very sad. It is all the more important to have a place where you can say goodbye. A place where there is an opportunity to offer a final tribute to the deceased. This can be implemented through a respectful grave design and a beautiful and well-kept final resting place.
In order for the implementation to succeed, think about your own idea of the burial site. The most important elements of the grave design have therefore been examined in more detail here for you.
Step 1: Choose the right gravestone
The tombstone is one of the most personal elements of a grave. The material, the shape, the application of the name should all be chosen to suit the personality of the deceased. Basically, there is a choice of having lettering made of metal or engraved into the stone. In addition to the name of the deceased and their birth and death dates, you can also consider leaving a final message. A last saying or quote that characterizes or honors the deceased. Pictures, whether of the deceased themselves, a holy patron saint or other motifs such as flowers, are often chosen to visually enhance the gravestone.
Many choose natural stone as the material. The stone is weather-resistant and has a very long service life and is easy to work with. In addition, many design options can also be implemented in the actual form:
- as a stone book
- as stele
- as rock
- or as a regular tombstone.
The selected elaboration of the tomb should also depend on further design projects of the tomb. This means that the size of the grave, planting and other decorative wishes should already be in place before the gravestone is selected. If you don't yet have a precise idea of how it will be designed later, it is advisable to ensure that at least the gravestone and the boundary of the grave match each other visually.
Step 2: Choosing flowers for the grave
In most cases, the design of the grave also includes planting with flowers and shrubs. Usually, typical grave plants are used. These are characterized by the fact that they are not so sensitive and usually even quite easy to care for. Ice begonia is one of the most commonly used grave plants. It flowers from spring to autumn.
To ensure that the flowers are colorful and varied throughout the year, coordinate the color and flowering time of the plants. Which plants are best suited at which time can also be seen on kurz-natursteine.de. A free plant calendar is also available there as a PDF. This allows the grave to be designed attractively all year round.
Depending on the grave, smaller or larger shrubs can also be planted. The advantage here is that these often last a very long time and do not have to be replaced. The downside, on the other hand, is that you have to keep the plants in good shape. Especially if they are attached in the immediate vicinity of the tombstone, care must be taken to ensure that it is not covered by the shrub. It is therefore always advisable to use smaller shrubs.
Step 3: Use of stone slabs and gravel
Especially if a flatter planting is chosen for the grave, it can look very noble if the grave surface is partly covered with stone slabs or gravel. For the common natural stones such as granite or marble, there are suitable pieces of slabs in a curved shape. This creates a visually appealing contrast between the smooth surface of the stone and the dark earth in which the decorative bedding plants are located. In addition, the care of the grave is made easier because all places can be easily reached via the grave slab. Planting and watering the plants and raking the soil are then possible without stepping into the middle of the flower bed and leaving tracks in the soil.
Filling with gravel can also make grave maintenance easier and lead to a visually tidy sight. Candle lights or additional flower vases can then be accommodated on the gravel later. In addition, when using gravel, care should be taken to ensure that the color of the gravel matches the gravestone. Pure white marble pebbles usually appear very hard. Pebbles in natural colors or shades of gray look more harmonious. The design options are also greater with gravel than withflagstones. Areas can be variably filled with the material and, if necessary, plants can even be used within the gravel area. It should be noted, however, that the use of gravel must be agreed in advance with the cemetery administration, since the use of gravel is not permitted in all cemeteries.
Step 4: More Grave Decoration
If you want to design the grave individually, you have the option of giving the final resting place a personal touch with the other grave decorations. One of the most important elements that should not be missing on any grave is the grave lamp or grave lantern. This ensures that the candle burns for a long time and is not blown out by the next gust of wind. Material, shape and color are available in any configuration. When choosing, however, value should be placed on a stable stand and solid workmanship.
If grave slabs are used, a planting can also be effectively displayed by using grave bowls. These are usually available in the right material such as granite or marble. Suitable grave vases can also be used to show off a fresh bouquet of flowers. So, on special occasions, the grave can be provided with additional floral decorations.
Special stone slabs with heartfelt sayings also have a very decorative effect. These can also convey a very personal message. Other grave decorations may also be added on special occasions. Inspiration for grave decorations and grave design can be collected on special holidays such as All Saints' Day. Especially on this day the dead are commemorated and the graves are especially decorated. If you walk around the cemetery with an open view, you will find plenty of suggestions for your own grave design.